Dynamic Random Access Memory devices (DRAMs) are among the highest volume and most complex integrated circuits manufactured today. Except for their high volume production, the state of the art manufacturing requirements of these devices would cause them to be exorbitantly priced. Yet, due to efficiencies associated with high volume production, the price per bit of these memory devices is continually declining. The low cost of memory has fueled the growth and development of the personal computer. As personal computers have become more advanced, they in turn have required faster and more dense memory devices, but with the same low cost of the standard DRAM. Fast page mode DRAMs are the most popular standard DRAM today. In fast page mode operation, a row address strobe (RAS*) is used to latch a row address portion of a multiplexed DRAM address. Multiple occurrences of the column address strobe (CAS*) are then used to latch multiple column addresses to access data within the selected row. On the falling edge of CAS* an address is latched, and the DRAM outputs are enabled. When CAS* transitions high the DRAM outputs are placed in a high impedance state (tri-state). With advances in the production of integrated circuits, the internal circuitry of the DRAM operates faster than ever. This high speed circuitry has allowed for faster page mode cycle times. A problem exists in the reading of a DRAM when the device is operated with minimum fast page mode cycle times. CAS* may be low for as little as 15 nanoseconds, and the data access time from CAS* to valid output data (t.sub.CAC) may be up to 15 nanoseconds; therefore, in a worst case scenario there is no time to latch the output data external to the memory device. For devices that operate faster than the specifications require, the data may still only be valid for a few nanoseconds. On a heavily loaded microprocessor memory bus, trying to latch an asynchronious signal that is valid for only a few nanoseconds is very difficult. Even providing a new address every 35 nanoseconds requires large address drivers which create significant amounts of electrical noise within the system. To increase the data throughput of a memory system, it has been common practice to place multiple devices on a common bus. For example, two fast page mode DRAMs may be connected to common address and data buses. One DRAM stores data for odd addresses, and the other for even addresses. The CAS* signal for the odd addresses is mined off (high) when the CAS* signal for the even addresses is mined on (low). This interleaved memory system provides data access at twice the rate of either device alone. If the first CAS* is low for 20 nanoseconds and then high for 20 nanoseconds while the second CAS* goes low, data can be accessed every 20 nanoseconds or 50 megahertz, If the access time from CAS* to data valid is fifteen nanoseconds, the data will be valid for only five nanoseconds at the end of each 20-nanosecond period when both devices are operating in fast page mode. As cycle times are shortened, the data valid period goes to zero.
There is a demand for faster, higher density, random access memory integrated circuits which provide a strategy for integration into today's personal computer systems. In an effort to meet this demand, numerous alternatives to the standard DRAM architecture have been proposed. One method of providing a longer period of time when data is valid at the outputs of a DRAM without increasing the fast page mode cycle time is called Extended Data Out (EDO) mode. In an EDO DRAM the data lines are not tri-stated between read cycles in a fast page mode operation. Instead, data is held valid after CAS* goes high until sometime after the next CAS* low pulse occurs, or until RAS* or the output enable (OE*) goes high. Determining when valid data will arrive at the outputs of a fast page mode or EDO DRAM can be a complex function of when the column address inputs are valid, when CAS* falls, the state of OE* and when CAS* rose in the previous cycle. The period during which data is valid with respect to the control line signals (especially CAS*) is determined by the specific implementation of the EDO mode, as adopted by the various DRAM manufacturers.
Yet another type of memory device is a burst EDO memory which adds the ability to address one column of a memory array and then automatically address additional columns in a pre-determined manner without providing the additional column addresses on external address lines. These memory devices use a column access input to access the memory array columns. For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a memory device which can operate at high data rates in a clocked or synchronous manner.